Lockheed Martin Names New Head of Fighter Aircraft Group

Lockheed Martin Names New Head of Fighter Aircraft Group

Lockheed Martin named Bridget Lauderdale as incoming vice-president and general manager for its integrated fighter group, the part of the company responsible for development, manufacturing and sustaining F-16 and F-22 aircraft.

Lauderdale will assume her new role on 15 April, replacing Roderick McLean, who will become the vice-president and general manager of the firm’s air mobility and maritime missions group, which is responsible for the C-130, LM-100J, C-5 and P-3 aircraft.

Lauderdale most recently served as vice-president for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 global sustainment team. She has also held roles as senior vice-president of corporate strategy and business development, vice-president for aeronautics operations, vice-president and general manager of F-16 and F-2 fighters, and vice-president for F-22 product development, says Lockheed Martin.

"Bridget's extensive experiences in the fighter market, her strong relationships with internal teams and customers, and her thoughtful, strategic approach will enable us to continue generating opportunities for the F-16 and F-22 well into the future," says Michele Evans, executive vice-president of aeronautics.

While the F-22 is out of production, Lockheed Martin continues generating revenue from repairing and upgrading capabilities of US Air Force aircraft.

The company builds F-16s at its factory in Greenville, South Carolina and won a $1.12 billion contract to produce 16 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft for the Royal Bahraini Air Force in June 2018. Lockheed Martin is also pitching another variant of the fighter to the Indian air force called the F-21, which it would manufactured in India. And recently, the Taiwan air force asked for a batch of the fighters, though that request is pending approval from the US State Department.